Modal Devices in KirundiA Corpus-driven Approach
Ferdinand MBERAMIHIGOUniversité du Burundi
A corpus-driven approach
Kirundi corpusvTokens : 1.918.292 vTypes : 204.016vPeriod distribution: 9 decades (1920s-2010s;
1930s: empty)
Genre/Topic & Period
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Theoretical framework
Van der Auwera & Plungian (1998):Modality: Possibility and necessityNuyts (2004, 2005): vDynamic:
ØParticipant-inherentØParticipant-imposedØSituational
vDeonticvEpistemic
Focus
Four types of modal devices used in Kirundi language :
ØAffixØauxiliary verbsØepistemic adverbs
Modal affix: -oo-
Potential marker§ traditionally labeled conditional/potential in Bantu§ Located between SC and root.§ The most widely used and has the largest semantic
scope and the greatest number of modal values.§ Therefore, it stands as the grammatical morpheme
dedicated to the expression of modality in Kirundi.
Dynamic possibility
Participant-inherent Dynamic Possibility (P-In DyPo):
Uburundi naje nobutwara.‘Burundi, I am also able to govern it’(Mugororoka, News, 1970s)u-‐bu-‐ruúndi na je n-‐oo-‐bu-‐twáar-‐aAUG14-‐NP14-‐Burundi also me SC1sg-‐MOD-‐OC14-‐govern-‐PFV
Dynamic possibility (2)Participant-imposed Dynamic Possibility (P-Im DyPo):…ejo uraza kundamutsa, niho tworonka n'akanya ko kuganira.‘…tomorrow, come and visit me, so that we can have at least some time
to talk.’(Rumarantimba, Drama, 1980s)ejó u-‐ra-‐əz-‐a ku-‐n-‐ramuts-‐a ni ha-‐ótomorrow SC2sg-‐HORT-‐come-‐IPF NP15-‐OC1sg-‐visit-‐IPF COP PP16-‐PRCS
tu-‐oo-‐roonk-‐Ha n a-‐ka-‐ánya ka-‐óSC2pl-‐MOD-‐get-‐REL.IPF at.least AUG12-‐NP12-‐time PP12-‐CONN
ku-‐gáaniir-‐aNP15-‐talk-‐IPFV
Dynamic possibility (3)Situational Dynamic Possibility (SiP):Umuntu arashobora guhema umwotsi w’itabi awutumuriweko n’uwurinywa.‘A person can breathe tobacco smoke when he is smoked out by someone who smokes.’(USCRI_H_QuitSmoking, Health, 2000s)
u-‐mu-‐ntu a-‐ra-‐shóbor-‐a ku-‐heem-‐a u-‐mu-‐óotsiAUG1-‐NP1-‐person SC1-‐DISJ-‐can-‐IPFV NP15-‐breathe-‐VF AUG3-‐NP3-‐smoke
u-‐a i-‐ø-‐taábi aH-‐u-‐tuumuur-‐ir-‐u-‐ye-‐kóPP3-‐CONN AUG5-‐NP5-‐tobacco SC1.CJC-‐OC3-‐smoke.out-‐APPL-‐PASS-‐PFV-‐POSTF17
na u-‐u-‐ri-‐nyó-‐aby AUG1-‐SC1-‐OC5-‐smoke-‐IPFV
Deontic possibilityImana yabariye Adamu iti: “Urashobora kurya ivyamwa vyose
uretse igiti kiri hagati mu murima”.‘God said to Adam: « You can eat of all the fruits, except of the tree
which is in the middle of the garden».’(CU110308Umuro, Peace, 2010s)
i-‐N-‐máana i-‐á-‐bárir-‐ye Adaámu i-‐ti u-‐ra-‐shóbor-‐aAUG9-‐NP9-‐God SC9-‐PE-‐say-‐PFV Adam SC9-‐QUOT SC2sg-‐DISJ-‐can-‐IPFV
ku-‐rí-‐a i-‐bi-‐aámwa bi-‐óóse urétse i-‐ki-‐tíNP15-‐eat-‐IPFV AUG8-‐NP8-‐fruit PP8-‐all except AUG7-‐NP7-‐tree
i-‐ki-‐tí ki-‐riH hagatí mu mu-‐rimáAUG7-‐NP7-‐tree SC7-‐be.REL in.the.middle LOC18 NP3-‐garden
Epistemic possibilityIryo dini rero ryoba ryatangira izo nyigisho mu kinyegero kuko mu
masengero yabo basa n'abatanga inyigisho nziza.‘So this religion may have given these precepts in secret because in their
churches they seemed to give good precepts.’(Mushingantahe, Paix, 2000s)
i-‐ri-‐o ø-‐diní reeró ri-‐oo-‐bá-‐a riH-‐á-‐táang-‐ir-‐aAUG5-‐PP5-‐DEMb NP5-‐religion then SC5-‐MOD-‐be-‐VF SC5.CJC-‐PE-‐give-‐APPL-‐VF
i-‐zi-‐o N-‐yígiisho mu ki-‐nyegero kukóAUG10-‐PP10-‐DEMb NP10-‐precept LOC18 NP7-‐secret becausemu ma-‐sengero a-‐ábo ba-‐á-‐se-‐a naLOC18 NP6-‐church PP6-‐POSS2 SC2-‐HP-‐seeem-‐VF with
a-‐ba-‐á-‐táng-‐a i-‐N-‐yígiisho N-‐(z)iizáAUG2-‐PP2-‐HP-‐give-‐IPFV AUG10-‐NP10-‐precept AP10-‐good
Dynamic necessity
Participant-inherent Dynamic Necessity (P-In DyNe):Dawe wo mw’ijuru arazi ko dukeneye kwambara n’ugufungura.
‘Our Father in Heaven knows that we need to dress and to eat.’
(Yaga, Religion, 1960s)daawé u-‐ó mu i-‐ø-‐juru a-‐ra-‐ə́zi kóour.father PP1-‐CONN LOC18 AUG5-‐NP5-‐heaven SC1-‐DISJ-‐know thattu-‐kener-‐Hye ku-‐ambar-‐a nó u-‐ku-‐fuungur-‐aSC1pl-‐need-‐REL.PFV NP15-‐dress-‐IPFV and AUG15-‐NP15-‐eat-‐IPFV
Dynamic necessity (2)Participant-imposed Dynamic Necessity (P-Im DyNe)Ibimazi vy’úmuryāngo ní ikīntu umuryāngo utegérezwa kwǎma ufíse kugíra
ngo urōnké umugisha.‘Family amulets are something a family must keep constantly so that it would
have a blessing.’(IntaraKama, Traditional Culture, 2010s)i-‐bi-‐mazi bi-‐a u-‐mu-‐ryaango ni i-‐ki-‐ntuAUG8-‐NP8-‐amulet PP8-‐CONN AUG3-‐NP3-‐family COP AUG7-‐NP7-‐thing
u-‐mu-‐ryaango u-‐tégerezw-‐Ha ku-‐ám-‐aAUG3-‐PN3-‐family SC3-‐must-‐REL.IPFV NP15-‐be.constantly-‐IPFV
uH-‐fít-‐ye kugíra ngo u-‐roonk-‐He u-‐mu-‐gishaSC3-‐have-‐PFV so that SC2sg-‐get-‐SBJF.PFV AUG3-‐NP3-‐chance
Dynamic necessity (3)Situational Dynamic Possibility (SiP):Ivyo bihe bitegerezwa gushikira na cane cane ikiremwa muntu kandi nta ko
avyirinda kuko ni ntabanduka.‘These times must happen especially to the human being and there is no way
of eluding them because they are ineluctable.’(CU100427, Peace, 2010s)i-‐bi-‐o bi-‐he bi-‐tégerezw-‐a ku-‐shik-‐ir-‐a naAUG8-‐PP8-‐DEMb NP8-‐time SC8-‐must-‐IPFV NP15-‐happen-‐APPL-‐IPFV and
caanecáane i-‐ki-‐remwá mu-‐ntu kaándi nta ku-‐o especially AUG7-‐NP7-‐being NP1-‐human and COP.NEG PP15-‐PRCS
a-‐bi-‐iriind-‐Ha kukó ni ntabaandúukaSC1-‐OC8-‐elude-‐REL.IPFV because COP ineluctable
Deontic necessityIngene Bakwa. Umusore waho agomba kukwa umugore, abwirizwa kutanga inka zine canke zitanu,
canke zitandatu.‘How they pay dowry. A young man from there who desires a wife must give four, five or six cows.’(Rusizira4603Akatangaza, News, 1940s)
ingéne ba-‐kó-‐Ha u-‐mu-‐sóre u-‐áahohow SC2-‐pay.dowry-‐REL.IPFV AUG1-‐NP1-‐young.man PP1-‐POSS16
a-‐goomb-‐Ha ku-‐kó-‐a u-‐mu-‐goré a-‐bwíirizw-‐aSC1-‐desire-‐REL.IPFV NP15-‐pay.dowry-‐IPFV AUG1-‐NP1-‐wife AUG1-‐must-‐IPFV
ku-‐táang-‐a i-‐N-‐ká zi-‐né caanké zi-‐taanuPN15-‐give-‐IPFV AUG10-‐NP10-‐cow PP10-‐four or PP10-‐five
caanké zi-‐taandátuor PP10-‐six
Epistemic necessityIcara ndagusomye mbona umengo akazuba kaguciyeko, utegerezwa
kuba unyotewe.‘Sit down, let me share beer with you, I see that, apparently sun
passed on you, you must be thirsty.’(Umugumyabanga, Drama, 1990s)
icar-‐a N-‐ra-‐ku-‐som-‐i-‐He N-‐bón-‐asit.down-‐IPFV SC1sg-‐DISJ-‐OC2sg-‐drink-‐CAUS-‐SBJV.PSP SC1sg-‐see-‐IPFV
umeengo a-‐ka-‐zuúba ka-‐a-‐ku-‐cí-‐ye-‐kóapparently AUG12-‐NP12-‐sun SC12-‐HP-‐OC2sg-‐pass-‐PFV-‐POSTF17
u-‐tégerezw-‐a ku-‐bá-‐a uH-‐nyóoterw-‐yeSC2sg-‐must-‐IPFV NP15-‐be-‐IPFV SC2sg.CJC-‐be.thirsty-‐PFV
-oo-: the modal affix
Auxiliaries
Typical construction: followed by an infinitive (seeslides 11,12).
Possibility: -shóbor- (be able), -shóbok- (be possible), -báash- (be able), -kúund- (be possible), -bón- (be able), -rekuriw- (be allowed) and -émerew- (be allowed); each of them covering a modal scope in its way.
Necessity: -tégerezw- (must), -bwíirizw- (must), -kener- (need), -riind- (need), -kwíir- (should), -béer- (be necessary) and -goomb- (must).
Possibility auxiliaries
Necessity auxiliaries
Epistemic adverbs
Epistemic adverbs (14)vSix expressing possibility: ngirango, umeengo,
nkeeka, kuumburé, kurúubu, ubóna (‘maybe’) v One expressing necessity (certainty): kokó
(‘certainly’)
One epistemic (umeengo ) overlapping to evidentiality (15) [Mberamihigo & al. forthcoming).
Overlap to evidetiality: umeengo
Yinjiranye n’umukobwa, kandi umengo ni Janine!‘He entered with a lady, and apparently it is Jeanine!’(Nyerek’akaranga, Drama, 1970s)
a-‐ínjir-‐an-‐ye na u-‐mu-‐koóbwa kaándiSC1-‐enter-‐ASSOC-‐PFV with AUG1-‐NP1-‐lady and
umeengo ni janiíneapparently COP Jeanine
Epistemic adverbs: Statistic overview
Conclusion
A set of modal markersvWith different scopesvGrammaticalized to different extents.vSome structures typical of the expression of
modality.
Referencesde Haan, Ferdinand. 2006. Typological Approaches to Modality. In W.
Frawley, E. Eschenroeder, S. Mills & T. Nguyen (eds.), The Expression of Modality. Berlin; New York: Mouton de Gruyter. 27-69.
Mberamihigo, Ferdinand. 2014. L’expression de la modalité en kirundi. Exploitation d’un corpus électronique. Bruxelles: Université libre de Bruxelles, thèse de doctorat.
Mberamihigo, Ferdinand , Gilles-Maurice de Schryver & Koen Bostoen. forthcoming. Entre verbe et adverbe: Grammaticalisation et dégrammaticalisation du marqueur épistémique umeengo/umeenga en kirundi (bantou, JD62). JALL
Nuyts, Jan & J. van der Auwera (eds.). 2015. The Oxford Handbook of Moodand Modality. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
van der Auwera, Johan & Valentin A. Plungian. 1998. Modality's semanticmap. Linguistic Typology 2: 79-124.
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